A Novel Method for Idle-Stop-Start Control of Micro Hybrid Construction Equipment—Part A: Fundamental Concepts and Design

Although micro hybrid propulsion (MHP) systems are recognized as a feasible solution for off-highway construction machines (OHCMs), there is still a lack of understanding how existing MHP technologies can be transferred effectively from the automotive sector to the construction sector. To fill this gap, this paper is the first of a two-part study which focuses on micro hybrid construction machines paying attention to a novel idle-stop-start control (ISSC) strategy. Part A presents the system concepts and design procedure while Part B studies on a hardware-in-the-loop test platform for a comprehensive analysis on the potential fuel/emission saving of the proposed system in real-time. In this study—Part A—different types of OHCMs are briefly discussed to identify the target machine. The procedure to model the machine powertrain is also concisely introduced. Next, to minimize the fuel consumption and emissions without degrading the machine performance, a prediction-based idle-stop-start control (PISSC) approach is properly designed. The core of the PISSC is to estimate online the future engine working state changes in order to directly shut down the engine or shift it to low power regions during idle periods. Numerical simulations have been carried out to validate the potential of the proposed PISSC method